Delighted to have found this thread, I am scheduled for replacement in January and very concerned about post-replacement cycling. Riding 25-35 miles several times weekly at this point, but the major problem at present is that I cannot get on and off my bike without considerable difficulty. I agree docs go by age and are surprised when we "oldies" are doing something other than sitting in a chair. (Though my doc shouldn't be surprised- my husband climbed Kilimanjaro at 72 on 2 knees replaced by this same doc.) I am encouraged by the reports of uneventful recovery and rehab as well as prodded to make an appointment for pre-replacement rehab.

Bernadette wrote:I am a 63 yr old female cyclist and took up riding 5 years ago after I was told that I needed hip replacement after being a runner for years. I was upset that I could no longer run, but my daughter encouraged me to start riding as I needed to wait a year as in Australia I needed to be in a health fund top cover as we only had medium cover. So for that year I started riding and found it helped so much with the pain management as I was strengthening my muscles. I waited until 3 months after surgery before riding again and now at 63 I am heading over to France in June to ride with a group of MAMILS and yes I am the token female. We will be riding Mont Ventoux. I will give it a go! Living in Sydney we drive to Geelong each year as I ride in the Cadel Evens classic along the Great Ocean Road (hubby is the support!!) I have been told by my surgeon that my other hip is bone on bone & yet I still have no pain & have full mobility.... so I will not be back under the knife.... not yet.

I feel inspired when I read other cyclists stories of returning to cycling after hip or knee replacements and would love to have more females take up riding, especially my generation!

You are my she-ro and I hope role model. I am having hip replacement in January (in the US), will be 65 by then. I would love to do Great Ocean Road on one of our trips to Oz (kids live there). Lots of nice riding in Sydney & surrounds. How did you do in France with the MAMILS (loved that movie!)?

I was reviewed by my consultant (8weeks) and fully discharged. Back on the bike(s) / trike(s) as from next week, except that I have various other obligatory fatuous over the next couple of weeks which will delay that

I am 66 and broke my hip on the Tour of Flanders last year, had a brilliant surgion at the hospital in Oudenaarde who gave me a new hip, apparently they do not pin brocken hips in Belgium as you only end up with arthritis which entails another operation, had the operation Monday morning was walking in the afternoon, on a exercise bike Tuesday walking up staires on the Wednesday out of hospital on the Friday, they do not cut the muscle in Belgium but open it up like a pair of curtains then close them up so the muscle does not take long to heal, the national heath service computer could not work out I had not had the operation done in England so got no physio but that was OK soon got back on the turbo and back on the bike in a couple of months, went back this year and did the 140 Km Tour Of Flanders, my biggest problem as been getting my confidence back especially in the wet and any gravel on corners does my head in, best of luck to anyone having the operation just get moving has quickly has you can

Nearly two weeks post op now,swelling diminished and getting about on sticks. Can already feel the arthritic pain is gone just a bit sore from the operation.Excellent treatment at North Downs hospital.Going to stick religiously to recovery programme and build up gradually.Enforced immobility gives one time to reflect and makes decisions on lifestyle etc.Before my op I treated myself to lovely titanium bike with triple Chainset and slightly more upright riding position than my other machines for when I’m fit. Life’s short buy the damn bike!

Turned 70 this week, had right hip replaced 7 weeks ago using minimally invasive surgery (walking stick only used for first week or so), just signed off by surgeon and physio. Still sore where the cut was (eg sitting on a hard chair or lying on right side on hard floor) but functionally very good (better flexibility than before). Have done much more walking than usual (see chart), but now getting back on trikes (bikes soon). Hills have been the main challenge (walk uphill first - downhill's easy) but getting much easier. Main 'problem' now is lack of aerobic fitness - and we all know the cure for that.HTH

Hi, I'm a new member. I am a 60 year old female and had both hips replaced in 2011 & 2012 and in 2016 I started cycling on a hybrid bike. I go out as often as possible (2 - 3 times a week) and live in a very hilly part of the country and have done approximately 3000 miles. It has given me a new lease of life!

66 y.o. I had a THR Last October, by a surgeon who is a cyclist and a sailor. he understands!! In July before my op he had seen me and told me to keep on the bike as I really had no pain except while mounting and dismounting and by that stage I had built an E bike.The op went well,it was bone on bone and I was back home 2 days later, being home was good but my domestic situation isn't as I am a 24/7 carer for my better half, disabled 20 years ago after a brain aneurysm, problems physically not mentally, so getting normality was sort of strenuous.. we tried hard but struggled after 2nd week, when I had to just get on with it, back using an auto car that I had bought a year before because of my left leg pain , without issues, except entry and exit.. The hospital physios had warned me to stay away from my bikes for at least 6 weeks , my surgeon saw me just 5 weeks in and said get on a static trainer which I had and stretch the leg and had no issues with movement only very careful getting on and off, several short sessions later I moved to a MTB round a local flattish forest trail and I realised that my leg strength on the operated left was in short supply.. While I regained confidence I tried my powerful E machine and had no issues, and the weather has been crap since late November so missed many sunday runs, I don't go out in rain.. Since the new year I have had a couple of long runs and with no issues, again weather has been crap and the good days we had I was doing other stuff..I find that my energy levels after a day spent on my feet working at bikes in my workshop, the next day its like someone left the tap running and half way through the day I am ready for a good rest, that said I had been walking quite a lot that morning, no pain but I never was a walker.. My Chum and cycle bud had a hip break last February 18, and I remember him saying exactly what I have just related, and he was and is a walker, doesn't drive at all, so its something to watch out for, its happened twice, but no one except those who have had the THR actually know what the reality is in full and good recovery and we are all different, while any cyclist cannot be called sedentary, we aren't the people that the Health Professionals see in the main so they really can be at odds advice wise with a stronger fitter patient..A car guy that often calls asked me about the op on one of my off days, he didn't know to laugh or frown when I said it was like removing a V8 engine out through the radiator grille..and then putting it back exactly right.... think about that.. At least a year for full strong recovery and I need another this October!! will

Hi their , fellow hippy.I to have had THR,both hips replaced within the same year,and I was also 66 at the time.As you say it does take around a year to fully recover,it is a major operation after all.I was previously a life long cyclist,but had to take an enforced 4 yr lay off,before the pain left me no choice to have the op,which in hindsight was the best thing I have ever done.Recovery is slow and we all recover at different rates. Like you I began doing 10 mins a day on a static bike,and to be brief ventured back on an MTB on easy trails a few months later,which was quite daunting at first.Fast forward four years and I know do 25 ml road rides 3 times a week and one ride on the turbo trainer.To try and allay one of your fears I have taken a few LOW speed falls,landing on my new hips,and apart from some bruising had no hip damage,in fact my surgeon told me that the new implant is probably stronger than the original hip bone.TBH I don't even give it a thought any more,just get out and enjoy the ride.NB bear in mind your glutes and quads will never be as strong as they were pre op,but don't let that put you off.

To give a bit of context I've just turned 71 and had a total hip replacement 9 weeks ago. I was/am a keen but not obsessive cyclist - doing about 100 miles a week in the summer. I am/was pretty fit but have never been an athlete. I had got to the stage where getting on or off the bike was very difficult and climbing stairs sometimes impossible. Prior to the op I was very concerned about limited articulation frequently mentioned when a conventional "full" hip replacement was performed, and therefore tried to find a surgeon who would perform hip resurfacing (the Birmingham procedure) on the NHS. I waited over a year to find one who did hip resurfacing - only to find he refused to do one on me. He did assure me I would get more than the 90 degrees articulation oft mentioned, but I was rather miffed - but felt I had no choice but to go ahead.

That was the bad news - the result could hardly have been more different.

I was out of the hospital in two days, never needed crutches or a stick from that day, able to walk a couple of miles in less than 2 weeks and on my excercise bike a few days later. A week later I found getting on my road bike was completely painless and was back up to 100 miles a week a couple of weeks later. The articulation on my new hip is now very similar to the old one - I can bend over and touch my toes for example - so where the 90 degree stuff is coming from I do not know. I almost bought a pair of slip on shoes fearing I would be unable to tie my shoe laces!

All without any real pain - a bit of discomfort but nothing more.

Talking to my surgeon I don't think I'm exceptional for someone who was still pretty fit prior to the op and has taken the excercises prescribed seriously. My mantra has always been don't do anything sudden but "if it doesn't hurt it's OK" - something that my surgeon said when I said I was worried about dislocating the new joint.

I'm still not back to full speed and I suspect full muscle strength will take a few months to return, but I am already able to ride faster than I could prior to the op.

Doubtless there will be others who don't have such a good experience, but I hope my experience will convince others who, like me, feared that a total hip replacement would result in a long term limit to mobility, will have higher aspirations.

My experience has been much the same as bcr5784.I am 66 and had a THR in May. I have also recovered very rapidly. After just 2 months it was as if I had turned the clock back 5 years and hardly noticed I had anything done. Exactly 3 months later and I am now cycling more comfortably and faster than I have done for years. A few times a week I am doing fast 2 hours+ rides with lots of hills (I live in North Wales so few flat bits) and getting new Strava achievements. The only limit is having the time to do more. I am riding the same bike that I used for racing and time trials 20 years ago and am looking forward to delivery of a new Canyon Endurace CF this week. I can now get low on the drops and can get on and off the bike with no problem. My operated and less dominant leg is still weaker than the other and the thigh a smaller diameter but that hopefully should improve (it may have always been like this?)

I admit that my hip was not as bad as some before the op and I had attempted to stay fit with good muscle tone. The pain and discomfort was tolerable for walks under a few miles but I always limped as the joint had stiffened up. It was also getting increasingly difficult to get on and off my bike. However it was not going to get better so there was no point waiting. I went privately both to ensure I got a surgeon with a good reputation and to avoid the long waiting times we have in the North Wales NHS.

I don't know how much was me or the excellent surgeon and procedure https://ganapathihipkneesurgeon.com/ but I had very little pain (I only usually took painkillers at night), I had no bruising beyond the op location and no swelling. I work from home as a software developer so was back working immediately. All the dire warnings of tiredness, not working for 6 weeks, pain, lack of mobility and having to use walking aids for many weeks never happened. I find I can bring my knee almost to my chest (only a bit less that the other leg) and can touch my toes. So like bcr5785 I don't understand the 90 degree warning and kept forgetting about it anyway after a couple of weeks. Apparently it takes a fair bit of force to dislocate so it seems unlikely just putting a sock on for instance.

Hi allI'm a 69 year old male in Sydney and had sudden onset of hip osteoarthritis in March after a groin tear in badminton and a week of rugged bush trail cycling. Over the next three months I was on a walking stick, but continued my non-weight bearing routines of swimming laps, cycling, and gym workouts. When the diagnosis finally pointed to a total hip replacement I booked the surgery with a five week wait. During that time I intensified my excercises and trained as if for a major event (which it was). I also bought a stationary bike and rode it straight out of bed each day. I was discharged from hospital on Day 4, and at home on Day 5 resumed the stationary bike, albeit pedalling backwards in slow motion for only ten minutes. By Day 14 I was pedalling normally, but with moderate load, and by Day 21 I was back in the gym, pool, and on a real bike in a flat area. Its now Day 30 and I have no discomfort and a strong hip, but I also know that the anterior entry needs a few more weeks before the muscles have rehabilitated.

The moral of the story is if you are having a total hip replacement, train for it before, and continue training even at minimal levels immediately after. Keep the joints mobile, and stretch daily but progressively. If you are strong before the op, you'll be strong after. You know your own body and filter medical advice which tends to be more relevant to obese, sedentary, or otherwise medically limited older patients.cheersRichard

Hi folks, Mrs.Copy has been waiting for a THR and has been cycling, walking swimming and yoga-ing to keep fit and strong, as per the previous posts.We've been inspired reading the messages and were hoping she'd be up and about (and on an exercise bike within a couple of weeks).

She had the op 3 days ago but the surgeon has stated that when inserting the prosthesis, her femur cracked slightly.We were aware that this was risk, but weren't expecting is as her tests revealed she doesn't have osteoporosis and is strong and healthy.He stated that he has wired the femur to strengthen it and it will heal naturally.

The only real downer is that she must not put any weight on the affected leg for 6 weeks.She was hoping to be discharged from hospital yesterday (on sticks) but it looks like it will be a few more days yet, as they have to get her on crutches first and then train her to negotiate stairs.